Needle threader and sharpener.



J. H. BOYE.

NEEDLE THREADER AND SHARPENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7, 1914.

1 175,504, Patented Mar. 14,1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOURAPK $0., WASHINGTON. I). c.

I nnrrnn srarns rarnnr orrrcn JAMES H. BOYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIG-NOR TO THE BOYE NEEDLE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

NEEDLE THREADER AND SHARPENER.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1914. 7 Serial No. 855,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES I-LBoYn, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented anew and useful,

Improvement in Needle Threaders and Sharpeners, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to devices for threading hand-needlesandsharpening the same; and the primary object is to provide a verysimple and cheap device of this character, so constructed as to enablethe needle-threading operation to be performed with great facility, evenby the oldand infirm.

The invention is illustrated in its preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawings, in which i I I Figure 1 represents an elevationalview of a combination needle-threader, I sharpener and screw-driver,constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of thesame; Fig. 3, a section taken as incli- 1 cated at line 3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4, a broken elevational view of the device, illustrating one stepof the threading operation; and Fig. 5, a broken elevational view,illustrating the final step of the threading operation.

In the construction illustrated, the improved device comprises ahandle-portion 1 equipped at one end with a needle-threader 2 and at theother end with a screw-driver 8, the handle-portion being provided withsharpening-strips 4, of emery cloth, or the like. The device ispreferably composed of a flat steel strip 5 having an enlarged centralportion forming a part of the handle and having one extremity shaped toafford a part of the needle threader and having the other extremityshaped to afford the screw-driver blade 3. That end-portion of themember 5 which forms part of the needle-threader 2 has one edge providedwith an undercut notch or recess 6, and the extremity of the member isrounded, thus giving the effect of a large hook. One lateral, flatsurface of the member is provided with the vertical recess or depression7, affording a vertical guideshoulder 8 and a horizontal or topguide-shoulder 9. A small threader-hook 10 is disposed adjacent therecessed side of the member 5 and is provided with a small undercutnotch 11 which corresponds or registers with the inner end orcrotch-portion of the notch 6. The extremityof the hook 10 projects overthe recess 7. The shank of the member 10 is provided with a perforationthrough which passes one of the rivets 12, which serves to secure a pairof clip-plates 13 to the memher 5. The rear end of the shank of the hook10 is provided with a laterally-turned lug 14 which engages a recess 1%in the side of the .member5. Thus, the threader-hook is held securely inplace. The clip-plates 13 may be composed of very thin sheet metal, andare of a configuration to correspond with the central or handle-portionof the. device of which they form a part.

The clip-plates serve also the function of securing the emery-strips orfillets 4 at the sides of the member 5, and are provided withlongitudinal slots 15, whereat the emerystrips are exposed, so that aneedle-point may be drawn over an emery-strip for sharpening purposes.

In the use of the device as a needlethreader, a needle 16 is entered inthe recess 7 and moved toward the base of the hook 10 until the eye ofthe needle engages the hook in the manner shown in Fig. 4:; the threadis then looped over the large hook of the needle-threader, 2'. 6., isentered in the notch 6, and the thread is thereby guided to engagementwith the diminutive notch 11 of the small hook 10; the needle is thenwithdrawn from the hook 10, and the thread thereby caused to passthrough the eye of the needle. In the operation of bringing the eye ofthe needle into engagement with the hook 10 the vertical wall 8 servesfirst to guide the needle to a proper position, and the horizontal ortop wall 9 then serves as a guide for the head of the needle, while theneedle is moved parallel with itself until the hook is entered throughthe eye. The whole arrangement is such as to make it very easy to effectthe threading operation, even though the eyesight may be poor and thehands unsteady. Moreover, the looping of the thread over the large hookserves to protect the delicatethreadenhook against injury, it beingobserved that it is natural to draw downwardly on the looped thread;and, when used by a person whose hands tremble violently, there would bedanger of destroying the threader-hook were not this provision made.

Thev foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding,

and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom. a 7

What I regard as new and desire to sei cure by Letters Patent is a guidefor the head of a needle, a small,

threader-hook disposed below the plane of said shoulder and lyingragainst the side of said first-named member and having a small undercutnotch which registers with said first-named notch below the plane ofsaid shoulder, and means securing the shank of said threader-hook tosaid first-named member.

2A needle-threader comprising a member having a flat side and having inone edge near one end an undercut notch, said memher having in said flatside a recess intercepting the crotch-portionof said notch presentingavertical shoulder and a horizontal shoulder, and a smallhook lying alongsaid flat side and having an undercut notch registering with thecrotch-portion of said firstnamed notch. I r

3. A needle-threader comprising a member having in one edge near one endan undercut notch, a small hooklying adjacent said member and providednear its extremity said small hook.

with an undercut notch registering with the crotch-portion of saidfirst-named notch, and

a Wall on. said first-named member above said small hook and serving asa guide for the head of the needle when the needle is being moved'intoengagement with said hook. &. A needle-threader comprising-a devicehaving a handle and a bar pro ect1ng from one end thereof, said barprovided near its said small hook being disposed between one of; saidclips and said bar.

5; A device of the character set forth comprising a bar provided at oneend with a large hook affording a notch, a pair of perforate-clipsembracing the intermediate portion of said bar and formed to aiford ahandle, a small threader-hook having a notch corresponding with thenotch of said large hook and having a shank disposed between one of theclips and said bar, fillet-strips confined between said clips and saidbar, and rivets securing the clips to the bar, one of saidrive'ts'passing through the shank of In the presence of NELLIE B.DEARBORN, A. C. FISCHER.

Copies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. r

JAMES H. BOYE.

